Chapter 65 Chapter 65 [VIP]
Chapter 65
The salt field in Lianxiang is the only sea salt field of the Qian family.
Once the canal was opened, the Qian family was able to transport the cooked sea salt to the canal and then sell it to Dayu. The profit they made was more than ten times what they had made before.
She was confident that she would be able to compete with the two salt fields of Pingchang Wang and Lianghuai in the future. She had had this idea for a long time. Now that the eldest lady had finally agreed to open the canal, her salt fields would be gone.
The sudden blow left her with no time to hide the shock on her face. She stood there in a daze, staring straight at Prince Song.
Prince Song seemed oblivious to her embarrassment and declared, "Since that's the case, I will take over the Qian family's salt works in Lianxiang." He then stood up and bowed to the merchants present, saying, "Today, on behalf of the court and the people, I thank all the merchants for their support."
The people below did not dare to bear his salute and all fell to the ground.
A large piece of flesh was cut off from Qian Tong's heart, and he felt a sharp pain.
Song Yunzhi continued, "Business thrives on honesty and integrity, and profit comes from fairness. It's natural for you to seek profit and make a living. But remember, the law is supreme, and the people are the foundation."
The voice of Prince Song in his ears was neither fast nor slow, and it was full of majesty. The rule of law in the court completely dispelled the little tricks in the hearts of every merchant.
The answers below are mixed.
"Thank you for your teachings, Prince."
"What the Crown Prince said today, I will definitely remember in my heart."
......
Qian Tong couldn't utter a word.
Mrs. Park had been feeling a bit upset at first. When she heard Prince Song talking about the salt fields, she didn't have time to wonder when the eldest son gave the Lianxiang Salt Field to Qian Qi. It was confiscated on the spot and returned to the court.
No wonder she was advised to open a canal.
It turned out that the salt field was taken.
But all his calculations turned out to be in vain. Seeing that Qian Qi Niang's face had not gotten better since then, he felt a little relieved.
The salt wells that the Qian family had built in the early years no longer produce salt.
The valuable thing in Yangzhou is sea salt.
The three ports given to her by the Park family were all leftovers. The seawater concentration was insufficient, the terrain was bad, and there were rocks all around, making it impossible to form salt fields. The Qian family had tried to mine salt fields, but halfway through, the ground suddenly collapsed, and seawater flooded back, drowning a group of people, and they never mined again.
Therefore, when she learned that she had obtained three years of salt permits, the eldest lady did not panic.
What's the use of having a salt permit? You have to have something in your head.
Including the cloth certificate she had, it was nothing to the Pu family. The Lu family was once the number one cloth merchant and spice merchant in Yangzhou, but in the end, they were just a bird in a cage of the Pu family.
The Pu family doesn't care how much he sells in Yangzhou, but if he wants to ship out of Yangzhou, he has to listen to the Pu family.
In order to protect themselves, the Lu family had to prevent outside goods from coming in over the years. They joined forces with other cloth and spice merchants to monopolize the Yangzhou market. The Pu family watched and allowed them to run rampant.
The Park family knew the consequences of a monopoly. The reason why the four major businesses have survived for so long was not because of their great abilities, but because the Park family wanted them to live.
But this balance was broken by Qian Qi Niangzi.
The Cui and Lu families were destroyed one after another, leaving only two families. However, the Qian family was fine, but the Park family behind them was pulled out.
The court was very pleased with the merchants' generous donations. Prince Song asked Wang Zhao to prepare pen and ink, and in front of everyone, he wrote down in black and white what each person had agreed to, and then asked the other party to sign for a record.
Since you have already agreed, it’s okay to put your stamp on it.
The position of the eldest lady of the Park family was the first. All the things had been promised, and it was too late to say anything. The style of the big family forced her not to have any hesitation. After taking a deep breath, she pressed the seal first.
The second is the head of the Qian family.
Wang Zhao saw that he was hesitant to move and called out, "Master Qian."
Qian Tong's heart was bleeding, but he could not withstand the intimidation of the two rows of cavalry guards standing at the door, so he finally raised his hand and signed the contract.
Mrs. Park glanced at her.
The second son and third wife of the Pu family were successively imprisoned in the prefectural government. The Pu family also filled up a canal tonight. What her Qian family gave away were only the things that were taken from the Pu family. Why should she feel distressed?
The more Mrs. Park looked at her, the more she disliked her.
If she hadn't brought up that damn canal, she wouldn't have been so impulsive as to agree to it tonight.
It's no exaggeration to say that she was a jinx. Thinking of the marriage she had promised her before, the eldest lady regretted it deeply. She hoped that she would know her place and not get involved with the Park family again.
All the merchants who came here tonight signed their pledges and left their belongings.
The door behind him also opened. Prince Song ordered the servants to bring wine and food, and then left first, and disappeared.
Suddenly, a canal was promised. The eldest lady didn't know how to report it to the head of the family. She was in a mess and had no appetite to eat the official food from the court. As soon as Prince Song left, the eldest lady immediately stood up.
Afterwards, without even saying hello, he told the Third Young Master to leave and left the hall without looking back.
However, before the Third Young Master left, he called out to Qian Tong, "Sister Tong, see you later."
, nodded to it.
As soon as Mrs. Park left, other merchants also rushed to leave. After all, they had to take advantage of the situation and get away quickly.
Qian Tong was not in a hurry and sat in his seat.
After finishing her meal, she looked up and asked Wang Zhao, who was standing by her side, "Sir Wang, the government has made a lot of money tonight, so why are the dishes so simple? There's not even any meat."
She was the only one left in the empty hall. Wang Zhao saw that she hadn't left, so he knew something bad was going to happen. He asked with a cold face, "What would Madam Qian like to eat?"
Qian Tong stood up, walked up to him, and asked, "I have such a big salt farm. What do you think I deserve to eat?"
It was useless for her to come to him about this matter. She had already signed the agreement in black and white, and the certificate had been taken away by the prince. Wang Zhao dismissed the guest and said, "It's getting late, Madam Qian, please go back."
Qian Tong refused to leave and asked in a low voice, "Where is the prince? I want to see him alone."
The next moment, Qian Tong was kicked out of the lobby by Wang Zhao's men.
As Qian Tong was being chased away, he turned back and said, "I really do need to see your prince. Sir, would you mind reporting this to him? What if the prince wants to see me? If he knew you were to chase him away without authorization, wouldn't he be heartbroken?"
She also knows heartache.
How had the Crown Prince treated her before? He had already sent letters back to Kyoto, introducing her to everyone in the family. But what about her? When the time came, she pushed the Crown Prince aside and chose the Park family.
Wang Zhao always thought she was a smart person, but now he denied his previous idea.
Having eyes but no vision.
The Crown Prince's wife didn't want him and chose the son of a merchant. She is so short-sighted.
She certainly played an important role in the capture of the Third Madam, and she also returned the tea intact. However, she concealed the matter from the Crown Prince, distrusted him, and even allowed him to stab her, severing their bond and breaking their covenant. Having made such a choice, she must have anticipated the current situation. Wang Zhao said, "Madam Qian, there is no need to say more. The Crown Prince will not see you."
As soon as he finished speaking, Song Yunzhi's secret guard arrived. After listening to Wang Zhao's words, he paused and said, "The prince said that since the seventh lady is not full, she should go to his place and eat slowly."
Qian Tong was delighted. She pushed aside the officer chasing her and said to Wang Zhao inside, "Did you hear that? Lord Wang needs to be more discerning."
Wang Zhao's face turned pale.
Qian Tong decided to quit while he was ahead and followed the secret guard to the courtyard where Song Yunzhi lived.
Compared with the Qian family, the prefectural mansion can be described as simple and elegant. Your Majesty advocates diligence and thrift, and successive prefects did not dare to build their mansions too luxuriously. Along the way, apart from the courtyard, there are no rockery or flowing water.
Soon the secret guard stopped at a brightly lit place and said, "Madam Qian, please come in."
Qian Tong stepped over the threshold.
Unlike the fragrance of the flowers in her yard, the incense smoked in the house was refreshing and refreshing. She was familiar with this smell. She had put her hand to the tip of her nose and smelled it all the way, and the more she smelled, the more energetic she felt.
There was a screen in the room. After she walked around it, she saw Prince Song in front of a desk on the left.
After shedding his identity as the Seventh Brother-in-law, Prince Song returned to his rightful position, and his aura also changed. He sat under a lamp, the dim light of the gauze lamp covering his crimson official uniform, adding a touch of nobleness to his already cold outline that kept strangers away.
Qian Tong stood ten steps away and greeted him: "Prince Song."
Song Yunzhi looked up at her with a calm expression. He told her to come over and eat meat, and then he really ordered the secret guards outside: "Prepare some wine and food for Master Qian."
An incense stick later, the secret guard prepared a feast for her with wine and meat. The wooden table was placed opposite Song Yunzhi, and she was treated as a freeloader. "If it's not enough, Madam Qian, just tell me."
Qian Tong: “…”
The secret guards left, leaving only two people in the room. Seeing that she hadn't touched her chopsticks for a long time, Song Yunzhi looked over and asked, "Aren't you hungry?"
She's not a pig, how could she eat so much in one meal? Qian Tong pondered how to talk to him, "Prince, the salt field..."
Song Yunzhi interrupted: "If Master Qian wants to talk about the salt fields, please go back. It's getting late. I will send someone to Lianxiang to meet him tomorrow."
Qian Tong saw that he was destroying the bridge after crossing it. She had just acquired the saltworks, and before she could even warm up to them, the canal was about to open. If he took the saltworks back now, what would happen to her Qian family?
He didn't want her to mention it, but Qian Tong had to. She said, "How about I give the teahouse to the prince? It would be useful to the court, gathering intelligence and controlling the flow of tea, which is also a big deal."
Song Yunzhi ignored her.
"Your Highness, you know, on the way here just now, I tried my best to persuade her, my mouth was dry, and finally I persuaded the Madam to come up with the idea of opening the canal." He should be grateful to her, not trying to steal from her. She said, "Your Highness should understand the role of the canal in the court. This is a mutually beneficial relationship between us. But now your Highness has the benefit, and I have lost it. Isn't this like killing the donkey after it has done its work?"
Song Yunzhi still didn't speak.
She continued, "I really can't give you the saltworks."
Seeing that he still didn't say anything, Qian Tong took the risk and suddenly stood up, "Okay, then I won't discuss official business with the prince, let's talk about personal matters."
Before Song Yunzhi could react to her words, she had already walked up to him, looked at the petition spread out in front of him, and asked familiarly, "What is the prince writing?"
Song Yunzhi's face turned cold, "Back off."
Qian Tong retreated, but only half a step. He suddenly bent down, looked into his eyes, and asked softly, "Prince, are you still angry?"
Seeing the slight fluctuation in his eyes, Qian Tong pursed his lips and said aggrievedly, "But I should be the one who is angry. I was stabbed by the prince and lay in the hospital for five days..."
"Is it me who stabbed you?" Song Yunzhi's calm expression was finally shattered by her provocation. If anyone wanted to question her, it wasn't her place to do so. "Madam Qian, have you forgotten? Do you want to kill me?"
"I was just acting for the Third Madam, I didn't really kill you." Qian Tong asked, "Did my dagger in Yu Li stab the Crown Prince? Isn't the Crown Prince fine now? But I was stabbed by the Crown Prince..."
Song Yunzhi's eyebrows twitched several times, "You are the one who confused right and wrong..."
Qian Tong frowned: "It hurts so much, it hurts so much."
Song Yunzhi stopped talking and subconsciously looked at the place where her wound was.
Qian Tong smiled at him, "It doesn't hurt now, Prince, don't worry."
Song Yunzhi looked away indifferently, not intending to argue with her any further. He told her clearly, "I must have the salt farm. You don't have to worry about it anymore."
He took the salt field and the salt well, they were actually the same, why did he have to take the salt field? Qian Tong started to sell miserably, "Do you know how I got this salt field?"
"Back then, when I was abandoned by Mr. Park, he felt guilty about me and later compensated me for the mental damage I suffered. Does the Crown Prince want to snatch it from me too?"
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